Suburban report.

Council Gives Nod To 9 Homes On 4 Acres

June 18, 2000|By Bob Goldsborough.

WHEATON — The Wheaton City Council has approved an annexation agreement that will result in nine homes on 4 acres at 26W301 Wiesbrook Rd.

Some council members had raised concerns within the last month about the project's plans for stormwater storage, which would have retained all stormwater on individual residents' properties. Since then, developer James Pink has modified the engineering design for the site, which is known locally as the Ortenzo property.

Under Pink's design, an existing home would be demolished, Stonebridge Court extended to the west and three homes would be built facing busy Wiesbrook Road.

The council, in an unusual move, approved the annexation agreement but postponed actual annexation and rezoning of the property because Pink encountered some difficulty in finalizing purchase contract details.

Neighbors on estate-size lots continued to criticize the council for approving further developments on Wiesbrook, especially because the city's comprehensive plan along that stretch calls for minimum development sizes of 5 acres to prevent piecemeal developments. And city staff had sought unsuccessfully to persuade four additional unincorporated landowners to the west to agree to someday develop their properties according to a concept plan prepared by Pink.

Councilman Robert Mork, however, recently said he saw no reason why development of the Ortenzo property shouldn't proceed, even if it takes many years before adjoining parcels to the west are developed.